


It Happened One Midnight

by iloveromance



Category: Frasier (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22030342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: In the middle of a bleak winter night, Niles receives a visit from Daphne who asks him for advice about a subject that he wants so much to avoid; her impending marriage to Donny.
Relationships: Niles Crane/Daphne Moon
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

It was the knock on the door that awakened him from a sound sleep. He ignored it at first, hoping that whomever had chosen to disturb his slumber would eventually go away. After a few moments he returned his head to his pillow and closed his eyes, only to be awakened once more by the sound of even louder knocking.

He sat up and swung his feet to the floor, grateful that his slippers were there waiting for him. In the darkness, his hand moved across the bed until he felt the familiar silk fabric of his robe and he slid it around his shoulders, cinching it tightly at the waist.

The stream of light provided a pathway to the door and he was grateful that he had chosen to keep the bathroom light illuminated. Perhaps it was childish to do so, since he hardly needed a nightlight in order to sleep, but now it proved to be a savior in guiding him out of his room safely. He was, after all, still very much asleep, even as he moved about his bedroom.

The knocking continued, reminding him suddenly of why he was out of bed in the first place and he couldn't help the irritation that consumed him.

"Always at the worst times of night." He muttered, as though the visitor (or intruder) could hear him. But he knew that he was only talking to himself. Still, it seemed to calm his frazzled nerves, if only for a moment.

He did that a lot; talked to himself. He did it much more frequently in recent months than he'd ever done. But everyone talked to themselves at one point or another. God knew that he'd treated enough patients who had serious issues with talking to themselves. Besides, everyone had their vices and talking to himself on occasion wasn't his only one.

He drank too much (sherry especially, but wine as well), to the point where some might consider him to be an alcoholic, but of course that was far from the case. He drank wine because he enjoyed it. After all, what was wine if not for enjoying? He knew his limit and in times that he went over that limit, he made sure that he was in a safe place. Such was the case the night that he sat, sandwiched between his brother and father in Frasier's living room, watching as Daphne gave her heart to another man.

That night… that horrible night, against Frasier and his father's wishes, he'd driven home. And when he arrived, he poured himself a glass of sherry, consuming it in one gulp. And then he poured another, and another until the room was spinning so violently that he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep. He awoke hours later, late into the next afternoon with a horrific hangover and the painful reminder that Daphne was engaged and would never be his.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'M COMING!" He shouted as the knocking seemed to go on and on and on. Quickly he cinched the belt of his dark blue robe making sure that it was tied securely enough. And he hoped that whoever was at the door would not recognize it by sight. For even he was not aware until after he'd purchased it from an online retailer that it was not a robe designed for men but rather for women. When he received the robe in the mail, and made the horrifying discovery, he was absolutely appalled and immediately contacted the merchant to give him or a piece of his mind. Yes, that's exactly what he had done.

"You sent me the wrong damn robe!" he shouted into the phone. He was immediately put on hold and his hand ached from holding the receiver to his ear. For the rest of his life he vowed that he would never listen to any version of the classic song "The Nearness of You" ever again. For, in the insane amount of time that he was on hold (it felt like hours), the song played on perpetual repeat until at last someone with an accent that he could barely detect answered the phone.

After moments of arguing with the woman to no avail, he simply gave up. Putting forth the effort to return the robe and wait for a refund was simply not worth his time and energy. That night when he reluctantly wore the robe for the first time, he was hit with the shock of his life. It was the most comfortable robe he'd ever worn. The silky satin was luxurious but not overly so and the fit was perfect. As he admired himself in the full length mirror that hung in his closet, he realized that it would take a trained eye to tell that the robe was not designed for a man. He'd never, of course, show it to Frasier or his father (they were sure to catch on), but what other people didn't know wouldn't hurt them, should they happen to see him wearing the robe. But even that scenario was highly unlikely.

As though he needed reminding, the doorbell began to ring and ring. Apparently the intruder (or visitor) had grown weary of knocking and for that he was appreciative. But the ringing soon brought on a headache, which in turn made him angry that he'd been awakened in the middle of the night.

He marched to the foyer, his hand poised on the doorknob. "Look Mrs. Bennet, I'm sorry if the ocean noise from my sound machine is disturbing you, but I've told you time and again that I simply cannot sleep unless I-."

He thrust the door open and froze, unable to believe what he was seeing. Or rather, whom he was seeing. For there, standing before him in his hallway, was not the annoying woman from next door.

It was his angel.


	2. Chapter 2

He was so stunned that he could barely speak. And when he did, he found it difficult to say her name. "D-Daphne?"

When their eyes met, her expression revealed that she was as nervous as he. "H-hello, Dr. Crane."

"What are you doing here?" The question had an edge to it, for which Niles immediately regretted. And instantly he softened his tone and opened the door wider. "I-I mean… Please… come in."

She'd barely taken two steps inside his home when the scent of her perfumed hair began to waft in his direction. He took a moment to steady himself and then carefully helped her removed her coat, hanging it neatly in the coat closet.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane." She said. "I'm so sorry to wake you in the middle of the night like this, but I desperately need to talk to someone."

A mixture of elation and confusion filled him, for Frasier was always willing to talk to Daphne if she had a problem and Niles was almost positive that Frasier was at home, so why hadn't Daphne come to him first? Perhaps she had, and Frasier was of little help to her. But nonetheless, the fact that she'd taken it upon herself to drive all the way across town alone to see him at the Montana spoke volumes. Whatever she was going through was obviously something very painful. At once his heart went out to her and he vowed to help her in any way he could. It wasn't ethical for him to act as a therapist, but as a friend, he was more than happy to give her any advice that would help.

"Well, I've told you before Daphne, that you're welcome here any time, um... day or night, just say the word."

"That's very sweet of you to say, Dr. Crane. You're such a good friend and that's why I wanted to see you so badly."

He could feel his face flush from the compliment and he felt a bit dizzy. But luckily he was able to steady himself. "T-thank you, Daphne. I value your friendship too and I want to help you. Just let me-."

When she shivered, he felt a sense of remorse. "Oh Dear God, you're freezing!" That was an understatement, as he suddenly realized just how cold it had become in the apartment, which meant that the temperature outside must have been frigid. It worried him, wondering how long she'd been standing there before she decided to come into the building. "Come with me, Daphne." He said quickly as he ushered her to the fainting couch.

"I-I'm fine." She said. "I-I just…"

"Daphne you're shivering!. And your teeth are chattering!" When he touched her forearm in the gentlest way possible, he was shocked at how cold her skin was. Even with her coat on, she had to have been miserable. "Please, come here and sit on the fainting couch. I'll start a fire and make some hot chocolate. Or would you prefer tea?"

She did as he asked, smiling as he hurried to the hall closet and removed a wool blanket from the top shelf. He was beside her in an instant, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

"Dr. Crane, I didn't mean for you to go to all of this trouble for me."

"It's no trouble at all." He said truthfully, even though the words were spoken a bit too quickly. And before she could protest, he went to the fireplace and opened the glass doors, inserting pieces of firewood one by one. The strike of a match and a crumpled newspaper, ignited instantly, creating a perfect flame. He felt the warmth of it instantly. Or perhaps the warmth was that of his beautiful, yet unexpected guest.


	3. Chapter 3

"It should be warmer in a few minutes." He said, quickly closing the doors. "Now, what was it that you-Oh heavens! I completely forgot! Would you like some hot chocolate? Or tea?"

"Tea is fine, thank you."

"I'll be back in a moment." He assured her. "What kind of tea would you like, Daphne? I have Earl Gray, Darjeeling-"

"I don't want tea!" She said, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, all right. Well then I can make some hot chocolate. It will only take-."

"No, I-Actually yes. I mean no! But yes."

His eyebrows rose. "I'm not following you."

"I don't know what's wrong with me head tonight. Yes, some tea would be lovely, Dr. Crane. But nothing with caffeine in it, please. I have enough trouble sleeping as it is."

The comment concerned him and he sat down beside her, his heart racing as he took her hand and stared into her eyes. "Daphne, are you all right?"

"Well, I-."

"Of course you're not all right. What's wrong with me? If you were fine you wouldn't be here right now."

Her worried eyes met his. "I-I don't know how to say this."

"You can tell me, Daphne. I promise that whatever you say will remain between us. I won't tell a soul."

He shivered slightly when she smiled sadly and squeezed his hand. "I appreciate that, Dr. Crane. I really do."

"Well, thank you. I-." He swallowed hard, watching her rub her arms and he gasped softly. "Dear God, your tea! I'll be right back." He was on his feet within seconds, heading for the kitchen. But he paused at the door and smiled at her. "Daphne?"

"Yes, Dr. Crane?"

"Each blend is herbal so there's no need to worry about caffeine. I'll bring you a pot of water and the selection that I have so that you can decide."

In the kitchen, he put on a pot of water to boil and took a moment to collect himself. It was like a dream come true, being here, in his home, alone with Daphne. Her showing up unannounced, asking for his help with whatever was bothering her touched him deeply. Were he not so concerned about her well-being, his heart would be pounding with elation.

Suddenly realizing that he'd left her alone in the living room, he quickly went to join her. "The water should be boiling soon. Can I get you anything else? Some fruit or another blanket perhaps?"

"No, I'm fine." She said. But the way she shivered violently told him that she was not fine at all. He was on his feet, retreating to the guest room where, in the small closet, he found another blanket, which he carefully unfolded and brought to her.

"Here you are." He said, draping the blanket around her shoulders. It brushed against her hair, making him dizzy from the wonderful scent that wafted under his nose.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. That's very nice. As I said before, I'm sorry for not calling first. I know it's late, but-."

"Oh, it's all right. I was awake." He lied, praying that he'd be spared, just this once, from the impending nosebleed that always followed an untruth. And as he expected, Daphne didn't believe him in the least. She knew him much too well, most likely better than he knew himself.

"You look exhausted, Dr. Crane. And I'm so sorry that I woke you up. I know that I shouldn't have come, but I-." To his horror, her sweet voice broke, causing him further alarm.

"Daphne, what is it?"

"I-didn't have anywhere else to go!"


	4. Chapter 4

He swallowed hard and for a moment he wondered if Daphne had heard him talking about her. Had he spoken out loud when he was thinking about holding her? He wasn't sure. Besides, it was a ridiculous thought, for she was in the living room on his fainting couch… in the middle of the night.

"Dr. Crane?" Her muffled voice trailed from the living room.

"I'm fine!" he called to her. "I'm sorry it's taking so long, Daphne. I'm just letting the tea steep a little longer."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with?"

The sudden closeness of her voice startled him so badly that the teacup he was holding fell from his hand and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. When he turned around, his heart beat even faster when he realized that she was standing behind him.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane! I didn't mean to startle you. I should have announced myself first. Your brother hates it when I startle him like that."

He bent to pick up the broken pieces. "It's all right. I guess I'm not fully awake yet. I hardly ever-OUCH!" Pain shot through his finger and he dropped the broken glass yet again, hearing the clink on the hardwood floor, making what was sure to be an even bigger mess.

"Dr. Crane, what happened? I-oh dear, you're bleeding!"

"What?" He glanced at his hand, horrified when he saw the thin trail of blood that was running from his finger toward his palm.

"Hang on a second." Daphne said.

Taking her suggestion literally, he grabbed the counter in the nick of time. The kitchen began to sway, taking his stomach along with it.

"Here, let me help you." She said, gently wrapping his hand in a dishtowel. "Just sit over here and relax." She held his hand and pressed the towel against his finger for a few seconds.

He tried to smile in gratitude, but he felt himself becoming sick to his stomach, especially when he noticed that the white towel now had a spot of red on it.

"Dr. Crane, what's wrong? You look green!"

"T-the blood!" He stammered, forcing himself to breathe normally. "I-I can't stand the sight of it!"

"A-all right, just a second! I'll take care of it! Where are your Band-Aids?"

"What?"

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

"Oh, I-In the pantry… top shelf… " Wearily he pointed toward the large wooden door beside the Sub-Zero refrigerator and did his best not to look at the towel that was wrapped around his hand, turning a deeper shade of red.

She returned within seconds, taking a hold of his hand. He looked away as she gently pressed the towel against it. "It's not too bad. Just a lot of… um… here, come with me!"

Although he was wobbly, he managed to stand and she gently guided him to the sink and then gasped softly. "Look!"

He stared at her, lost in her eyes.

"No, not at me! Out the window! It's snowing! Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes…" he breathed, still looking at her.

She blushed and smiled. "Dr. Crane… the window?"

"What? Oh, yes… no wonder it's so cold." He barely felt her move his hand toward the sink or the warm water that trickled over his skin. The water stopped running and she was once again pressing a towel against his hand.

"Now, come with me again and sit down and we'll get you all fixed up."

Woodenly he moved toward the chair, amazed at the care she took in tending to his injured finger. Within seconds she had placed a bandage over it.

"There, I think you'll be okay but we'll change the bandage tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" He repeated. The word suggested that she was going to spend the night with him, and he began to feel dizzy again. But she surprised him by laughing out loud.

"I suppose it already is tomorrow, isn't it? Well, I think that bandage should do the trick for now. I put some ointment on it as well, so let me know if it starts to sting, all right?"

"It's perfect."

To his utter surprise, she kissed his cheek. "You're sweet. Why don't you go into the living room while I clean up this mess?"

"Nonsense. It was my fault and the least I can do-."

"I won't have you cutting your hand again, and I insist! After all, none of this would have happened if…" Her voice trailed away and her smile disappeared, leaving behind the familiar sad expression.

He wanted so badly to hug her, but he knew that she was still hurting and he feared that if he came on too strong, she might leave. And so he simply smiled. "All right. I'll go tend to the fire."

Careful not to step on the broken glass, he walked out of the kitchen but when he reached the living room, he held the swinging kitchen door open and watched her.

It wasn't possible for someone to be so beautiful, but there she was… an absolute angel.


	5. Chapter 5

He was tending to the fire when he heard her voice.

"Here we are, Dr. Crane."

He turned to find her holding a tray consisting of his teapot and two teacups. The sight of her made him smile.

"I was careful not to startle you this time." She quipped. "It wouldn't have been good to scare you when you're standing so close to the fire."

But Niles couldn't bring himself to laugh at her joke. "Daphne, about that-."

She moved past him and set the tray on the coffee table. "I found several different kinds of tea and I wasn't sure which one you would like so I brought them all." And then she laughed. "Listen to me, carrying on as though I live here!"

He wanted to say something, but decided against. He didn't want to risk letting his feelings slip out; not when she was still so vulnerable.

"Thank you Daphne. I-."

"Don't you worry about the kitchen."

"What?"

"The kitchen. Isn't that what you were going to ask me about?"

Actually he hadn't even been thinking about the kitchen, but she was convinced that she had psychic powers and he didn't want to disappoint her. "You're right. I was." Another lie, but it was told with good intentions.

"I thought so. Well don't worry about a thing. The glass is all cleaned up. I found your broom in the closet and took care of cleaning the mess. I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you."

"And I'll buy you a new teacup. The one that broke must have been so lovely, and… well, it was my fault that it broke in the first place."

"You don't have to do that."

"Well I want to, and I will, so that's the end of it."

He grinned. "All right. If you insist. But really it was my fault. I was the one-."

"Please, stop saying that!" She shouted as her voice broke ever so slightly. "It wasn't your fault, it was mine! I'm the one who came over in the middle of the night and disturbed your sleep! If it hadn't been for me-."

"Daphne-."

She turned away, but he could hear her crying softly. He had no idea what to say or do and one again he felt helpless. No words or actions seemed right. All he could do was look at her and when she finally turned around, the tears in her eyes shattered his heart.

He motioned to the fainting couch. "Here, sit."

She nodded, smiling when he reached for the tray and handed her a napkin. It wasn't at all the way he'd intended, for a handkerchief was much more gentlemanly, but the gesture made her smile. She blotted her eyes. "Thank you. And I really am sorry, Dr. Crane."

This time he rose to his feet and went to sit beside her on the fainting couch. The fire could wait. Daphne could not.

The teapot was steaming and he poured the boiling water into a teacup. "What kind of tea would you like?"

She smiled. "You're the doctor. What do you suggest?"

"How about Chamomile? It will help you sleep."

Her eyes widened. "Sleep? But I couldn't possibly-I mean, I have to drive home. "

"You can sleep in the guest room."

"Oh no. I couldn't!"

"Please stay. You shouldn't be driving in this weather and especially when you're so upset."

"But your brother-."

"I'll call him in the morning and let him know that you're all right."

She lowered her head. "But I'm not all right."

He touched her shoulder and sighed. "I'll put on some music. Maybe that will help you relax."

"Do you mind if I pick something?"

"Not at all. You're my guest."

She rose from the fainting couch and walked over to the stereo.

"The CD's are in that wooden case." He pointed to the box, smiling when she eagerly began to search through them.

"You have quite a collection. I recognize some of these. Your brother has the same ones."

"Yes."

"But I suppose you already knew that." Her comment was followed by a nervous laugh.

He grinned and she returned her attention to the CDs and removed one.

"What have you found?"

"It's a surprise."

He grinned and sat back on the fainting couch, anxiously waiting for the music to begin. When it did, he recognized it instantly and he couldn't help but laugh. Floating out of his CD player was the silky voice of Frank Sinatra, singing the song that Niles swore he'd never listen to again;

"The Nearness Of You"


	6. Chapter 6

His heart was beating like crazy as she moved toward him. He could barely breathe, let alone think.

"Wh-where did you find this song?"

"It was in the box with your other CD's. I thought-."

"I don't… It's not mine." He said quickly. "I-I mean, it must be Dad's. Somehow-."

She smiled. "I thought I recognized it."

"Right. You should probably drink your tea before it gets cold."

But she moved closer and held out her hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"What?"

"Dance with me, Dr. Crane?"

He felt like he was floating as he stood and took her hand. He drew her close and put his arm around her waist. He could smell the intoxicating scent of her hair, which prompted him to move even closer. He knew that he was on dangerous ground, for this was exactly what he'd dreamed about just a little while earlier. But he couldn't bring himself to let go of her. Slowly, they began to move to the music and she didn't seem to mind that she was dancing with someone who was not her fiancé. And frankly, neither did he. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in the music.

It's not the pale moon that excites me

That thrills and delights me

Oh no, it's just the nearness of you

It isn't your sweet conversation

That brings this sensation

Oh no, it's just the nearness of you

When you're in my arms

And I feel you so close to me

All my wildest dreams came true

I need no soft lights to enchant me

If you will only grant me

The right to hold you ever so tight

And to feel in the night

The nearness of you

Still holding onto him, she drew back slightly and smiled. "Dr. Crane you have a lovely singing voice. You should sing more often. It's beautiful."

He blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Your singing voice. It's lovely."

He tried to hide his embarrassment, for he was completely unaware that he'd been singing. But he vowed to do as Daphne had asked, and sing more often. It was a challenge that he was willing to accept. All too soon the last strands of the song played and their blissful dance was over. When he let go of her, she seemed a little disappointed but her smile was an attempt to hide it.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. That was just what I needed."

"You're welcome, Daphne. I enjoyed our dance very much."

"It was lovely, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was, as a matter of fact. It was worth getting up in the middle of the night for."

She laughed out loud. "No, I mean the Snow Ball."

His heart sank, remembering the disappointment of that night. But she looked so happy that he hated to ruin the moment. "Yes, it was a nice evening."

Her gaze was dreamy. "I'd never felt so glamorous and it was the most fun I'd had in years! I can't thank you enough for taking me, Dr. Crane."

"The pleasure was mine, Daphne."

A new song was playing now, another romantic one, as only Frank Sinatra could sing:

When I was seventeen

It was a very good year

It was a very good year for small town girls

And soft summer nights

We'd hide from the lights

On the village green

When I was seventeen

"Care for another dance, Dr. Crane?"

He wanted to, oh how he wanted to.

But she hadn't come to his home in the middle of the night to dance with him. He promised himself that he wouldn't pry into her life, but he feared that if he waited for her to tell him what was bothering her that she might choose to keep it inside.

He went to the stereo and switched it off, returning the apartment to silence. "No thank you, Daphne."

"Oh… I see."

"But would you do me a favor?"

She looked at him. "Of course."

He returned to the fainting couch and sat down beside her. "Tell me what's bothering you. Please?"

Her silence indicated that whatever it was, it was causing her a great deal of pain. And that, in turn, hurt him as well.


	7. Chapter 7

Daphne stared at the floor for a long time, silent. Niles, meanwhile, said nothing. He just sat quietly and sipped his tea. Perhaps Daphne had decided not to tell him what was on her mind, and while he was disappointed, it was okay. It was her right and he wouldn't force her. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten her so upset. He wanted to help, but now he didn't know what to do. And just when he was about to give up, she broke the silence.

"Donny has been pressuring me to push up the wedding date."

Niles' felt his body turn cold. This was the last thing he expected, and yet he knew it was coming. "Donny…."

"Yes."

He nodded. He always felt uneasy when Daphne mentioned her finance's name, but he tried not to show it. However, the way he'd blurted out Donny Douglas' name clearly spelled out his feelings for the man. In truth he should be grateful to Donny. After all, the man had freed him from the shackles of Maris and had given him a handsome divorce settlement to boot. But Daphne's next words stunned him.

"You don't like Donny very much, do you?"

His mouth fell open and he was unable to speak. What possible response could he have given? He decided to be truthful. Daphne deserved nothing less.

"I-I do like Donny. He's brilliant at his profession, but…" He stole the woman I love…

"But…"

"Look, Daphne. If you love him, that's all that matters."

She rolled her eyes. "You sound like me Mum! Why does everyone say that? If you like him? If you like him? That's like saying I can't stand him but it's okay if you like him! What does that mean?"

"I'm sorry, Daphne. I didn't mean-."

"It's all right."

"The only person that matters here is you. You're the one marrying him. And no one else should stand in your way, no matter what they think of Donny. As for myself…. Well, I owe him a lot. If it weren't for him, Maris and I…. well…"

"That's right. He did a lot for you too. And if it weren't for you, Donny and I might never have met."

He smiled. "It was fate…"

"I guess so."

They fell silent, but a million questions were running through Niles' head; questions he didn't dare ask.

"So… he said carefully. "Donny wants to move up the wedding date."

"Yes."

"Well, then he must really love you."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. I-" Surprisingly she did not say I love him, too, but Niles tried not to read too much into it.

"When will the wedding be?"

"That's just the trouble. You see, I…."

"Yes?"

"I just don't think I'm ready to get married so soon."

"That's understandable."

"Donny doesn't think so."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I-."

"Daphne, you shouldn't feel pressured to get married so quickly. Take it from me. Planning a wedding is a lot of hard work. It takes time to make it perfect. And marriage is…" He froze when he felt her slip her hand into his. Her skin was so soft. He looked deeply into her eyes.

"Actually, Dr. Crane, I'm not sure if I want to get married at all."


	8. Chapter 8

His ethics told me to respond one way, his heart another. So he went with his conscience and remained silent. They sat perfectly still, listening to the crackling fire that was slowing turning to embers.

"I-I see…" He said after a long moment.

"I don't know what to do, Dr. Crane." Daphne said. "I love Donny. I really do. And if you love someone, you should want to marry them as soon as possible. Don't you think so?"

"Well, I-yes… of course."

She let out a breath. "I have no idea why I'm so confused. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I shouldn't have any doubts and to be honest, Donny hasn't given me any reason to not want to marry him. I just don't understand why he wants to get married so soon."

"He loves you." Niles said, feeling his heart burst with pain at the words.

"I-I know he does. And I love him. I just-I don't know what to do, Dr. Crane!"

"What is it that's worrying you, exactly? I mean, besides the fact that Donny-."

"I keep having these visions."

"I-I'm sorry?"

She turned to him and sighed. "Look, I know you don't believe in my visions and you must think I'm some sort of loon, but I promise you, Dr. Crane, my visions are real! I see them plain as day! And this one was especially vivid. I just can't shake this feeling that I'm making a mistake."

"I-I don't-."

"What?"

He swallowed hard. She was right. It was no secret that neither he, Martin and Frasier didn't believe in her ridiculous visions that she talked about so often. Martin made his opinion known on more than one occasion and Frasier just kept his thoughts to himself, but Niles…. He had never said a word-and never would-but somewhere along the way he must have indicated in some form that he too, was a non-believer. And now all he felt was remorse. But when he looked into her eyes, he couldn't tell her the truth. However he couldn't bring himself to lie to her either. He chose his next words carefully. He was not speaking to a patient. He was speaking to someone he cared for very deeply. And Daphne deserved nothing less than sincerity.

"Daphne, you're not a loon… far from it. And I believe that you think-I-I mean…"

"I know what you mean, Dr. Crane. It's all right. I understand."

"I don't think that these visions are the problem. I think that you're worried about trusting your instincts and you feel like something is missing in your life."

Her mouth fell open in apparent disbelief. "I-yes! That's exactly how I feel! But how-."

He ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Oh, well, I-Quite honestly, I get that feeling as well from time to time."

"Y-you do?"

"Sure. A-a lot, in fact. For the past seven-I-I mean several years I feel like there's been someone-Um, something missing in my life. But fortunately I'm learning to cope."

To his surprise, she slipped her hand into his and smiled. "I know what you mean."

His heart began the first notes of a song… could this really be happening? Could she really be saying-. "I-I…"

"Yes, and I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane."

"S-sorry?"

"You went through a very painful divorce and here I am, talking about getting married! I'm sorry. I know it hurts to hear about my wedding plans-or lack of them."

When she rose to her feet, he began to panic. "Daphne what are you doing?"

"I shouldn't have come."

"Don't say that, please!"

"But it's true! I came here for myself without any regard for you! And now I've clearly upset you! I can see it on your face!"

"No, I'm not… I mean…please, don't leave. I wanted… I-I hoped… Look, don't follow my advice, all right? Don't just learn to cope with loneliness as I have. You should… listen to your heart. If you really love Donny, then… perhaps you should marry him sooner than planned."

"Really?"

Niles fidgeted with the collar on his robe. "Well, yes."

"That's nice of you to say, but I don't know. I just… It seems like Donny wants to take over and plan the entire wedding by himself without any help from me! But it's my wedding too! Shouldn't I have some say in the matter?"

"Yes, you certainly should. But if you really love him, you need to sit down with him and have a heart to heart talk. Tell him exactly what you told me, that you feel left out in planning your wedding and you want to have equal say so in the matter. It should be a day that both of you will remember for the rest of your lives."

"You're right. A woman never forgets her wedding day. I don't think I ever will. I've dreamed about my wedding my whole life."

"Then it should be everything you ever dreamed it to be. Accept nothing less."

Her arms went around him and she kissed his cheek. "I can't thank you enough for being here for me tonight, Dr. Crane. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

But it's late… or rather, early… and I should be getting home."

To his dismay, she began to head for the door.

"Now?"

"Yes, your brother and father are probably worried sick about me."

"But-."

"I'm sorry to rush off like this, but I really should go."

"Wait, Daphne. Can I make you some breakfast?"

"That's sweet of you to offer, Dr. Crane, but I need to get home. Thank you again, so much."

Reluctantly he followed her to the foyer and helped her with her coat. He wanted to say more-so much more, but he couldn't find the words.

"You're more than welcome, Daphne."

She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight-I mean, good morning, Dr. Crane."

"Good morning, Daphne." He glanced out of the window, relieved to see that it had stopped snowing, but then added "Drive carefully, please? The roads-."

Daphne reached for his hand. "I will, I promise. You're always thinking of me, aren't you?"

He watched her turn and head for the elevator, staring until the doors shut and she was no longer in sight. A feeling of loneliness and regret washed over him as he shut his door and leaned against it with a sigh.

"I'll always be here for you, Daphne. Because you mean more to me than you will ever know."


	9. Chapter 9

It was a vision, not a dream that caused Daphne to wake with a start and her eyes moved around the room. For a moment she had almost forgotten where she was, but it didn't take long for it all to come back to her. She'd arrived home early that morning, when it was still dark out. He'd been right about the weather. The snow had stopped and a soft rain had begun to fall, but the roads were slick and most likely unsafe to be driving on. True to her word, she'd driven more carefully than normal, grateful to Niles for caring about her safety.

Donny would have said something like; 'Don't wreck the car and if you do, make sure the other person has insurance', implying little regard for her personal well-being. These days it seemed as though all Donny cared was his career and planning their wedding without her.

Donny…

Her heart clinched in her chest. She had no desire to speak to him, but she didn't have a choice. Niles was right. She needed to speak to Donny as soon as possible about the wedding. She had to put her foot down and demand that she be included in the planning. After all, it was her wedding too. What kind of wedding would it be if it were planned solely by the groom? It was quite funny, actually. A few of her friends who had gotten married had complained that their fiancés were of no help at all, while Daphne's problem was just the opposite.

But there was no way she could possibly marry him unless they were completely and totally honest with each other. He needed to know exactly how she felt and allow her to start helping with the wedding plans. Because if there was no trust between them now-if they couldn't be completely honest with each other when it came to wedding plans-they had no chance of their marriage ever surviving. She wondered, for a split second if trust was what tore Niles and Frasier's marriages apart, but quickly dismissed the thought, for it was none of her business anyway.

She climbed out of bed and put on her terrycloth robe and slippers and then padded into the kitchen.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!"

Martin's voice startled her and she was surprised to see him and Frasier sitting at the table. Frasier was eating his oat bran and drinking a cup of coffee, and Martin had a plate full of bacon and pancakes. The sight made her wince with disgust.

"Morning, Daphne."

"I-what time is it?"

"Oh about ten."

Her eyes widened. "In the morning?"

"Well, it ain't this bright at night!" Martin said, bursting into laughter at his own joke.

"It's ten in the morning?" She repeated, louder. "Why didn't you wake me up? The day's half gone! And your breakfast! I was supposed to-."

Frasier looked up from his paper. "We decided to give you the morning off."

"What? But why?"

"Well, you were out pretty late last night, young lady!" Martin scolded. "And we figured we'd let you sleep in."

"Th-thank you, but-."

"Don't worry about it. Just fix yourself some breakfast and come join us. There's plenty of pancakes and bacon on the stove." Martin said. "Frasier's a pretty good cook, actually. He's even better than-."

"Dad-."

Daphne knew what Martin would have said had Frasier not cut him off, but she chose to ignore it and glared at him instead. "All right, but don't think this is going to be a regular thing, old man! You either, Eddie! Find your own table scraps from now on!"

Eddie whined and jumped on Martin's chair, burying his head in the cushion.

"Boy, someone's in a good mood!" Martin quipped.

"We saw your note." Frasier said. "Thanks for letting us know where you were all night."

"Yeah, that was some note! You didn't even include his name! But Frasier and I know better!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" That was funny, she didn't even remember writing a note before she left for Niles' apartment, but she supposed that she had. Otherwise Frasier and Martin would be furious with her, instead of attempting to be funny.

"You were over at Donny's place, weren't you?" Martin asked.

"I-."

"It's okay, Daphne. You don't have to tell us the details. I think I can figure those out myself!"

"Dad, please!" Frasier snapped. "Leave her alone."

She was almost grateful until Frasier said; "So how are you lovebirds getting along? Busy making plans for the wedding, I assume."

Her breath caught in her throat. There was no way to respond without Frasier and Martin figuring out that something was wrong, and then Frasier would want to know what it was and insist on giving her advice-most likely advice that was different than she'd gotten from Niles.

"Or maybe something more?" Martin asked. "Don't answer that, I don't really want to know. It's none of our business anyway. Right, Fras?"

Daphne swallowed hard, unable to meet either man's eyes. It was best just to tell them what they wanted to hear, even if it wasn't the truth. "Um, yes, I was at Donny's. It got late, and the weather-Well, anyway, he said to tell you hello."

Frasier turned down the edge of his paper and smiled at her. "Thank you, Daphne."

"Yeah, tell him thanks, or whatever." Martin said.

"I-I will…"

"So do you have another late night planned tonight?"

Normally Daphne would have lashed out at Frasier for being so nosy, but instead she forced a smile. "I'm not sure. We haven't made any other plans."

"Ah, well, you're both adults so if you don't leave a note, it's all right."

"I will, don't worry." She said, hurrying to the kitchen.


	10. Chapter 10

A few moments later, Daphne was about to return to the table to pick up the rest of the dishes. But she stopped in the doorway when she heard whispers that included her name. She peered around the corner, doing her best to hear what was being said.  
Frasier and Martin were whispering.

"Daphne is acting rather peculiar this morning, don't you think? I wonder if she and Donny got into an argument."

"Frasier, don't get into the middle of this, all right? It's Daphne's life and she has a right to keep it to herself. If she wants to talk about it, she'll come to you like she always has but until then just leave her alone. And keep in mind that she may never come to you about it. Could be she's just got wedding jitters."

"I think it's more than that, Dad but your point is well-taken. It's just obvious that something's wrong."

"To you, anyway. It's probably nothing, but I know you… You're going to analyze this to death until you figure it out! Now as your father I'm warning you to take my advice and leave her alone! Let her come to you!"

"But Dad-."

"Zip it, Frasier! End of story!"

Daphne picked up her cup of coffee and returned to the living room, feigning innocence. "What story?"

The two men exchanged innocent looks and then Frasier spoke.

"Oh, well, Dad was just telling me a story about… um, something that happened when he was in the police force. Isn't that right, Dad?"

"Um, yeah. It was… well, weird. Right, Frasier?"

"Yeah, definitely weird!" Frasier said, laughing a little too hard.

Daphne was impressed with the way Frasier and Martin were covering up their conversation about her and she decided to play along. She sat down at the table and smiled. "I want to hear this story. It sounds fascinating! What's it about?"

"Well, it wasn't that exciting, was it Frasier?"

"No, not really."

"Weird sounds exciting to me. I want to hear it!" Daphne said.

"A-all right." Frasier said. "Well, it was about a-a-."

"Robbery." Martin finished. "A big one at First National Bank in the U-District."

"Yes, a robbery! That's what it was all right! A robbery!"

Daphne rolled her eyes. For someone who gave advice to people over the radio all day and had more degrees and diplomas than she'd ever have in her lifetime, Frasier was a horrible liar. "Really?" she asked, trying to sound impressed.

"Yes, um… Oh my, look at the time!" Frasier said, glancing at his bare arm. "I need to get dressed and get to work!"

"But you don't have to be there for hours!" Daphne said. "You didn't finish the story!"

"Right, um… well, it wasn't that exciting at all."

"You mentioned that, Dr. Crane. But you said it was weird."

"Yeah, it was weird in that it wasn't exciting." Martin said. He glanced over at Eddie who was running around in circles. "Eddie looks like he wants to go for a walk, so I'd better get on that right now."

"Yeah, and I'm really going to be late!" Frasier said. "Off I go to get dressed for work!"

"What about the story?" She asked again. "Does it have a moral?"

Both men froze and glanced at each other.

"A moral?" Frasier asked.

"Yes, most stories have one. You know, a lesson to be learned at the end."

"Oh dear God, I know what a moral is, Daphne! I just… Dad, you remember what the moral was, don't you?"

"Actually, it just slipped my mind. Maybe I'll remember it when I get back from taking Eddie for his walk."

"Good, I'm anxious to hear it." Daphne said.

It was funny how both men were acting so strangely, trying to cover up what they'd said about her, when she'd heard every word to begin with.

"Dr. Crane, why are you going into work so early?" She called to Frasier as he was about to enter the hallway.

"Well you see Daphne, Roz has been getting on me for coming in late and I just want to show her that I can be punctual."

"But it's your show! Shouldn't Kenny be the one who-."

"I really have to get going, Daphne. We'll talk about it later, okay?"

"Yeah, I have to get going too. Eddie's having a fit over here." Martin said.

Daphne looked at Eddie who was lying on the hardwood floor. "Yes, you'd better do that, Mr. Crane. He looks really upset."

When both men had gone, Daphne was grateful to be alone in the condo. She needed some peace and quiet to think about what she was going to say to Donny. It certainly wouldn't be easy and they may very well end up in an argument, rendering Frasier's suspicions valid but it had to be done.

She returned to the kitchen and made a pot of tea. She needed something to calm her. But as she sat in Martin's chair and turned on the television, she realized that no amount of tea was going to make talking to Donny any easier. If only life was like the romantic movies on TV.


	11. Chapter 11

When Niles awoke that morning, he felt like he had the worst hangover of his life. He'd barely gotten any sleep at all, and he considered calling in sick, but he hated to give Mrs. Woodson the extra work of canceling all of his appointments. Besides, he couldn't afford to miss a day of work. His patients needed him and if he was completely honest with himself, he needed them too.

Getting out of bed was a chore. Removing his nightclothes to step into the shower was even more difficult. But once he stepped onto the marble floor of his bathroom and slipped on his robe, he felt much better, albeit still groggy from the lack of sleep the night before.

At the office, his sessions were far less productive than usual. Mrs. Catnie's going on and on about her long ago high school boyfriend appearing in nightly dreams made him feel somewhat restless and by the afternoon, Mr. Bilford's long bouts of silence and refusal to answer any of Niles' questions triggered a dangerous pattern of severe narcolepsy.

When Mrs. Woodson told Niles that Frasier had called and postponed their morning coffee at Café Nervosa, Niles was so happy that he nearly hugged her. Instead he thanked her profusely and told her to inform Frasier that he would be there precisely at 4:30, after Frasier's radio show ended. Perhaps the boost of caffeine would get him through the rest of the day.

It seemed to take forever, but 4:30 finally came. He locked his office door and hurried to the café, where he found his brother already waiting for him at the table by the window.

"Niles, over here!" Frasier called to him, with a wave of his hand.

"Ah, you made it! Frasier I want to thank you for postponing our coffee this morning. Today I was in the mood to drink my coffee in the afternoon!" Niles removed his handkerchief and carefully wiped the wooden seat before sitting down.

"Niles, are you all right?"

"I'm just fine, why?"

"You seem… Distracted."

"I suppose I am."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Frasier you know I can't talk about my patients! It would violate my ethics!"

"And I know that what's bothering you has nothing to do with your patients!"

"How do you figure that?"

"Oh I don't know, Niles! Maybe it's the way you're shifting around in that chair! Now what's going on?"

Niles sighed. He knew from experience that he'd never been able to keep a secret from Frasier. It was completely impossible. And truthfully he was grateful to have someone to talk to. Perhaps Frasier could give him some advice on how best to handle the situation.

"Well, all right, if you must know, it's Daphne. She-."

"Niles, you know I love you very much, but you need to drop this ridiculous infatuation with Daphne! She's happily engaged and I think that's a sign that you need to move on! It's not healthy to live this way! You of all people should understand that! What you feel for Daphne-or think you feel is-"

"Frasier before you say anything else, I can assure you that this has nothing to do with my feelings for Daphne! I'm just saying that she has a problem!"

"And you know this how?"

"I-I just know, all right?"

"Actually this morning at breakfast she was acting rather strangely and it made me wonder if she and Donny had argued and that's what had her upset."

Niles swallowed hard. "H-how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, she was doing her best to avoid Dad and I and this morning she slept until after ten! I was going to wake her much earlier but I didn't have the heart. She was out all night and that's not like her at all."

"I-I should say not." Niles said, cringing when he remembered how late-or rather how early it was when Daphne left his apartment that morning. But he was grateful that Frasier mentioned her, for he was worried about her arriving home safely. He owed his brother that much gratitude anyway. And then the questions spilled out of his mouth. "Did she say anything to you about it? Was she upset? Crying? Angry?"

"Actually she was none of those things and no, she didn't say a word. But she was definitely avoiding myself and Dad. I even had to make us breakfast! I had my usual and Dad had pancakes and bacon. I meant to be firm with Dad and tell him that he couldn't have bacon, but I couldn't help myself. I-."

"You what?"

"Well, I made him some anyway, along with some pancakes."

"Why do you think she was at Donny's?"

"Of course she was at Donny's! Where else would she have gone?" Frasier asked. "I mean what other place could she have-Oh Dear God!"

Frasier's outburst nearly caused Niles to spill his coffee and he steadied his paper cup so that the hot liquid would stop sloshing around. He was wearing Italian leather shoes for God's sake!

"What?"

"What did you do to her?"

"Frasier, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Of course you do! I can see the blood beginning to trickle from your nose! Now tell me the truth! Did she or did she not spend the night at your apartment?"

"Well…"

"Well, what?"

"It wasn't like that, Frasier! She-she showed up in the middle of the night and she was so upset that I couldn't bear to turn her away!"

"You did something to upset her, didn't you?"

"What? Frasier, no! I would never-."

"Well, something must have happened because she's certainly not herself!"

Niles nearly kicked himself for saying anything at all. He wished (oh how he wished!) that he could take back every word. Although Daphne wasn't his patient and technically she'd never told him not to say anything, Niles had violated his ethics in the worst possible way. But the only thing he could do was pray that his actions didn't hurt Daphne any further. He told her that she could trust him, but he'd broken that trust in tenfold.

But Frasier wasn't going to wait for Niles to think of a good excuse. "Niles, you never answered my question! What did you do to her?"

"I told you, I didn't do anything to her! She was upset… She…. She came over… it was very late at night-in fact she woke me out of a sound sleep."

"And then?"

The look on Frasier's face made Niles gasp. "How dare you!"

"What?"

"How dare you suggest that I would do anything to hurt Daphne! Why she's… she's an absolute angel and you….Oh, I wish I had never come here!"

"Niles, just calm down! People are beginning to stare!"

"So what! I can't believe that you…." Niles draped his coat under his arm, picked up his cup of coffee and pushed the wooden chair under the table so forcefully that it banged loudly before falling to the ground. And he made no effort to pick it up, much to the annoyance of the patrons and baristas around him. He was infuriated beyond measure. And then he almost smiled in satisfaction at the appalled look on Frasier's face.

"Niles, for God's sake, please control yourself! Just what is this all about?"

"Never mind!" Niles replied angrily. "I have to go! I have an anger management session in fifteen minutes! Goodbye Frasier!"

But when he walked out of Café Nervosa, he felt Frasier's presence behind him. However he absolutely refused to turn around.

"Niles, wait! Please! Look I appreciate your wanting to respect Daphne's privacy and of course your ethics are important as are mine, but I'm worried about her! She's not herself. I didn't mean to imply that you would hurt her. I know you wouldn't and I'm sorry for suggesting it. I just-what was she doing at your place?"

Niles stopped in his tracks, feeling slightly guilty for his burst of anger. A fit of rage wouldn't help himself, Frasier or Daphne. And when Niles turned around he saw Frasier's look of concern.

Frasier deserved an answer, but Daphne deserved Niles' trust. Niles knew that Frasier would never betray Daphne's trust or hurt her in anyway. And so he chose his answer carefully.

"Donny."

"What about Donny? Niles-."

"I've already said too much."

"You haven't said anything except the name of Daphne's fiancé! What's going on with Donny?"

Niles sighed deeply. "I will hate myself for doing this, but-."

"Doing what? You haven't done anything! Now what's going on?"

"If you must know, it was Donny."

"What about Donny? I feel like I'm on some sort of carousel ride, going round and round..."

"You mean the kind that you got sick on at the State Fair and you were so embarrassed you cried and Mom had to carry you around the rest of the day?" Niles retorted.

"Actually that was you."

"Oh, right... Well…"

"Niles, what's this about Donny?"

"I refuse to go into specifics, but Daphne is upset because she feels that Donny doesn't respect her."

"Respect her? What are you toking about?"

"I've already said too much and now I'm late. Goodbye Frasier." He could hear his brother shouting his name, but Niles kept right on walking. And he refused to stop until he reached his office, where he could be alone with thoughts of Daphne.


	12. Chapter 12

The movie had long since ended but Daphne was still sitting in Martin's chair, holding the cordless phone in her hand. She'd lost count of the number of times that she'd tried to call Donny. Her finger always pushed the "End Call" button before she could dial the last number.

"I'm going to do this, I swear." She said, in what was a pep talk of sorts. But each time, her attempts ended the same way.

"No, this time I mean it!" She said more forcefully to the empty living room. "Niles told me that I need to do this, so I'm going to do it. If I don't, that means that my visit to his home was worthless."

Her heart pounded. Why was she so bloody nervous about calling her own fiancé? It was just a simple phone call, asking him to come over so that they could talk. They'd had many conversations before-hundreds, in fact. So this shouldn't be any different-even if it was.

Yes, she could do this… she had to… she would.

With trembling fingers, she began to dial the number, oblivious to the fact that she'd successfully dialed the 206 area code and all seven digits until the phone rang.

"Donny Douglas' office." His secretary answered.

"I need to speak to Donny right away, please." Daphne said.

"Who's calling?"

Daphne rolled her eyes, grateful that Donny's secretary couldn't see her. She'd called Donny's office a hundred times! How could the woman not recognize her voice?

But she forced a smile that she hoped would resonate in her voice. "It's Daphne."

"I'm sorry, did you say Cathy?"

"No! It's Daphne, his bloody fiancé!" she yelled. "Just a moment."

Before Daphne could apologize for snapping at the woman, she heard hold music. It seemed to go on and on. And then it stopped.

"Douglas."

"Donny it's me."

"Oh hey." His voice was flat, as though he was disappointed that it was his fiancé on the phone and not someone else. "Look, I'm really busy, so what did you want?"

It was not the sort of question a fiancé should be asking, but she ignored his tone. "Donny, I need you to come over after work so we can talk-or we can go somewhere… a restaurant, a bar, it doesn't matter. But we need to talk about this wedding."

"Oh for the love of-this is why you called me out of a meeting? To talk about a damn wedding?"

She flinched at his words. "It's not a damn wedding, Donny! It's our wedding! Particularly my wedding! I am the bride you, in case you've forgotten! You're the one who proposed to me!"

"Yeah, I get it but can we please talk about this later? I have clients in the conference room! I'm missing out on a multi-million dollar lawsuit, hon! That's money for our future!"

"All right, but we need to talk."

"Fine. When?"

"Come over right after work."

"Oh, I can't come tonight, Daphne. I have a meeting and-."

"Damn it, Donny if you loved me even for a second you'll do as I ask!" when her voice broke she pushed the button to end the call and then tossed the phone across the room. It broke into pieces but she didn't care. Frasier could just take the money out of her salary for a new one.

She tried to focus her attention on the television but the moment she saw an ad for a bridal shop, she burst into tears, grateful that she was alone.

Sometime later she heard the door open and something landed on her lap, startling her awake. "OH!"

"Eddie, stop that! You woke Daphne up!" Martin said. "Sorry, Daph. I-."

She looked around disoriented and then felt guilty that she was sitting in Martin's chair. "I-I'm sorry." She said, rising to her feet. "I was just-."

"Don't worry about it. You can sit there any time. It's comfy, isn't it? Frasier doesn't believe me, but it's really-."

"I-I have to go."

"Go? Go where?"

"I-I need to change me clothes. Donny will be over later."

"Daphne, about Donny-."

"I really need to go."

"Frasier, I thought we discussed this! We weren't going to say a word unless she says something first!"

"I know, Dad, but-."

Daphne didn't stay to hear the rest of whatever Frasier might have said. She headed straight for her room. It was surprisingly difficult, looking for something to wear to have a conversation with her fiancé-one that most likely would turn into yet another argument-if he even decided to show up, that was.

About a half hour later she heard Frasier's voice through her closed bedroom door. "Daphne! Donny's here!"

"I-I'm coming!" She called back, deciding at the last minute on a horrid olive green blouse which she threw over her jeans. A quick brush through her hair and she was out the door, smiling as she entered the living room.

Donny returned her smile, but she could see that it was not sincere. Still, she feigned happiness and went to kiss him. "Donny… you made it. I was afraid you weren't coming."

"Of course I came! You asked me too, right?"

Her smile faded and she avoided Frasier's sympathetic gaze. "That's right. I did…"

"Well, it was nice to see you, Donny." Frasier said, extending his hand.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane."

"Oh come on, you know to call me Frasier! We're family, aren't we? Or at least we will be, soon enough!"

"Donny-it's always good to have you over." Martin said.

"Thanks, Martin. I'll have to do it again sometime. We can catch a Seahawks game!"

Martin's eyes widened. "Really? You're a Hawks fan? How did I miss that one?"

"Because he's not." Daphne mumbled under her breath.

"Well, I think we should leave these two alone, don't you, Dad?"

"Yeah. Hey Frasier, didn't you say you wanted to go to the Timbermill again?"

"Did I say that? I don't remember saying that at all."

"Oh yeah, that day that…."

The men left the condo, their voices trailing away. And Daphne turned to face the man she was going to marry.

"Donny, I-."

"Daphne, what's all of this about? You pulled me out of a very important meeting and when they said you were on the phone I was frantic! I thought something had happened to you!"

"Really…"

"Of course, hon!"

Daphne scowled and crossed her arms. "Because you certainly didn't sound very frantic on the phone! In fact, you sounded disappointed that I'd called!"

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. I was just-."

"-in a multi-million dollar meeting! I know, Donny! You've told me already!"

"Well I'm here now, so what did you want to talk about?"

"I can't believe you've already forgotten! Well, let me refresh your memory. In a matter of months, you and I will be in a large hotel surrounded by our family and friends, the minister will say-."

"Knock it off, all right? I get it!"

"I don't think so because if you did, you'd realize that it's my wedding, too!"

"I know that, Daphne."

"You sure don't act like it! You want to plan the entire thing by yourself. It's never about what I want! It's always about you!"

"You know that's not true!"

"Of course it is! You've just taken over and cast me aside like I'm some bloody-."

He cringed. "Don't say bloody again, all right? I keep having images of my client, who claimed that her husband-."

"How can you think about work when we have a wedding to plan?" she yelled.

"Don't get hysterical!"

Daphne drew in a breath, trying her best to control the anger flickering inside. "I'll get hysterical when I want to get hysterical! Stop ordering me around and treat me like your fiancé! I'm beginning to think that this wedding was all a big mistake!"

"So what are you saying? You don't want to get married?"Donny asked.

The room fell silent and Daphne swallowed hard. "I-I don't know, but it can't go on like this."

Donny nodded. "I see… well, that takes care of that, I guess."

"What do you mean?" She felt her heart pounding in her chest. Deep down, she knew what he was about to say.

He crossed the room and went to the door. "Goodbye, Daphne. Forever."


	13. Chapter 13

Daphne was still sitting in Martin's chair, twirling a piece of pink ribbon through her fingers in a nervous pattern. It was the ribbon from a gift that Donny had given her ages ago. Now she couldn't remember what the gift was, much less the occasion. But whatever it had 

been, it didn't matter anymore. She and Donny were history.

She wanted to blame Niles, for he was the one who suggested that she confront Donny about allowing her to share in the wedding plans. But it wouldn't be right. It wasn't his fault at all. She was the one to blame. If she hadn't gotten up in the middle of the night and 

showed up at his apartment unannounced, she wouldn't have asked for his advice.

Perhaps she had been wrong to argue with Donny. She should have just let him plan the wedding alone without any help from her. Of course it wouldn't be at all the wedding she had always dreamed of and she was sure that she wouldn't know a single person in attendance 

other than her family, Frasier, Niles and Martin (if Donny even allowed them to come). And what of their life together? The thoughts she'd been having may not have been pure visions, but they came close.

The sound of the key in the lock made her jump and the door opened unexpectedly. Frasier and Martin walked into the foyer.

"So, how was your visit with Donny?" Frasier asked. "I trust you have the wedding plans well underway?"

"Well, actually-."

"I meant what I said before, Daphne. Whatever you need, big or small, no matter how much it costs, just let me know."

"Frasier-."

"What? Dad, I'm just trying to let Daphne know that I'm there for her when it comes to planning her wedding! You know it's going to be the biggest day in her life and-."

Daphne burst into tears, sending Frasier and Martin to her side.

"Daphne, what is it?" Frasier asked his hand on her back.

She looked up to see Martin watching her in concern. "I'm sorry. I'll get out of your chair now."

"No, you just sit there for a minute." He said. "What's this all about?"

"Is it Donny?" Frasier asked.

Daphne could only nod.

"I see. What happened? Did you two have a fight?"

"Yes…"

"Ah… well, that happens sometimes during wedding planning. It can be so stressful. Lilith and I-."

"He called it off!"

"What?"

"He called off the wedding-and our entire relationship! We're through!" She cried.

"Damn him!" Frasier yelled.

"Frasier-." Martin warned. To Daphne he said. "What happened?"

"I don't know… After you left I called him and asked him to come over…"

"And?"

"It didn't go well at all. You see, he wants to plan the wedding alone and leave me out of it. And when I told him how I felt…" She began to cry into her hands once more, prompting Frasier to coax her out of the chair to comfort her. "I'm sorry for carrying on like this!" 

She cried. "I just… I never expected this to happen!"

"I know, I know…. Look, why don't you go lie down for a while and we'll talk later?"

"All right. That's probably a good idea."

"I'm sorry, Daphne." Martin said.

She turned to Martin and hugged him. "Thank you. And I'm sorry too."

"You're sorry? For what?"

"For all of the horrible things I've said to you."

"Daphne, please don't start this! None of that matters now. Just… maybe you should go rest for a while."

"All right. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Daphne."

She turned and headed for her room where she laid on her bed and let her tears lull her into a deep sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

(The next day-Café Nervosa)

Niles was more than happy to see his brother that morning and was grateful that he had seen very few patients. He knew that he wouldn't have been able to concentrate on their problems when he had so many of his own. But Frasier would understand.

"Niles, good to see you again."

"Right. Listen Frasier, I-."

"Right? That's all you have to say by way of greeting? Dear God Niles, what has happened to you?"

"I-I don't…"

"I'm your brother and that's how you choose to greet me?"

"But I just saw you yesterday! I didn't think a formal welcome was necessary! What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing! I just… thought you'd have a little more respect for your oldest sibling! After all, I won't be around forever!"

Niles froze. "W-what are you saying? Frasier, you're not-."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon and my health is perfect! I just don't understand why you'd greet me so casually!"

"I'm sorry. It's nice to see you too, Frasier. How are you?"

"Not good, that's for sure."

"You mean-."

"No, Niles! I'm fine! But Daphne, I hate to say it, is not!"

"D-Daphne?"

"That's right, Daphne Moon! The one you claim to be so in love with!"

"Wh-what about her? Oh dear God, she's all right, isn't she?"

"I just told you that she's not!"

"Wh-what happened? Is she sick? Can I see her?"

"She's fine… well, physically anyway. Emotionally I'm afraid I can't say the same."

"What are you talking about? You're scaring me to death!"

"What exactly did you two talk about when she came over?"

"Frasier I told you I cannot tell you. I cannot divulge private information."

"Oh for God's sake, Daphne's not your patient! She's my employee and as my employee, I have a right to know why, last night after I came home from dinner with Dad, I found her sobbing uncontrollably in Dad's chair, mere hours after she had a visit from Donny."

"Donny? I-."

"Let me finish! And then, when I asked her what was wrong, she told me that she and Donny had gotten into an argument over the wedding plans and now the wedding-and their entire relationship has been called off!"

Niles couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? But that's impossible! I just-."

"You what?"

"I-I just…." He sighed. This was the worst news imaginable. But truth be told, if he hadn't felt such guilt over Donny and Daphne's breakup, he would have been elated.

"H-how did it happen?"

"I don't know how, but I know who! You, that's who!"

"Me? But I-."

"Yes, you, Niles! You told me that she'd come over to talk to you about Donny, right?"

"Yes, but-."

"Stop interrupting me! Now, she came over to ask you about Donny and what exactly did she ask you?"

"Frasier I can't-."

"You can and you will!"

"All right. But please don't tell her that I told you. She'll never trust me again!"

"I don't think she will anyway after this, but go on."

There was nothing more that Niles could do except tell his brother what had happened the night Daphne came over. He felt incredibly guilty, but it was only fair.

"Well, I suppose if… Okay, Daphne came over and said that Donny insisted on taking over the wedding plans. She said that he wanted to do everything himself and leave her out of it."

"And you said-."

"I told her that she needed to talk to him about it and tell him how she felt."

"And that's all?"

"Yes, well..."

"Well what?"

"She also might have mentioned that she wasn't sure if she wanted to marry him or not."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, maybe it was because of the wedding planning. But I swear I never intended for them to break up!"

"I think you're leaving something out."

"What could I possibly-well, I suppose I am. She said that he was pressuring her to move up the wedding date and she didn't feel comfortable with it."

"I see..."

"That's all that happened Frasier! I swe-well, actually, perhaps there was a little more."

"More? Like what?"

"We might have…"

"What?"

A dreamy feeling came over him and he almost forgot that Frasier was sitting across the table. "She was freezing cold when she came over so I got her a blanket and made her some tea. When I went to get the tea, one of the teacups crashed to eh floor and I cut my hand as I picked it up. She hurried to my aid and bandaged it.

"Yes, I can see that. How thoughtful of her."

"And then later when she was warm, she found one of Dad's CD's and we danced in my living room."

"Really?"

"Yes, it was…"

"Niles, snap out of it, please! I need to know what's going on here!"

"I don't-."

"I can see what's going on, Niles! Now that Daphne and Donny have broken up-or say they have-you want to make your move."

"That's not true!" Niles shouted, enunciating each word.

"It is true and you know it!"

"I-."

"Listen Niles, you have to let go of this insane fantasy! Daphne is not yours nor will she ever be yours! She belongs to Donny, all right? I'm sure that this little tiff between them will be resolved by tomorrow. She's probably under a lot of stress due to the wedding and so forth and I told her that I would help her with the wedding in any way that I can."

Niles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "How thoughtful of you."

"What's really going on?"

"I just… I can't stop thinking about that night. The way her perfume smelled, the way she felt in my arms. I keep thinking that she might have felt something too."

"Niles you are just trying to create the illusions in your mind, don't you see that? She was your friend so you helped her. You cut your hand and she tended to it. Nothing more. I know she appreciates your help but this daydreaming nonsense has got to stop!"

"How do you know that she doesn't love me? Can you tell me that? You weren't there, Frasier! You didn't see the way she was looking at me!"

"No, but I was there last night when she was crying her eyes out in Dad's chair! If she didn't love Donny, she wouldn't have been so upset, isn't that right? I have no doubt that they're going to get back together soon. But you have to face the fact. Daphne has chosen who she wants to be with. And I'm sorry Niles, but it isn't you."

Niles rose from the table and grabbed his coat and his cup of coffee. "Well thank you for the vote of confidence. I thought if anyone would understand it would be you, but I guess I was wrong."

"Niles, wait a minute."

"No, I'm through waiting, Frasier. Goodbye."


	15. Chapter 15

Niles sat on his fainting couch, sipping his glass of Chablis, thinking about what Frasier had said. What did his brother know about love? He hadn't had a serious relationship since Niles could remember. And how dare Frasier make him feel guilty for giving Daphne advice! 

Niles had done so on the basis of trust. People didn't just get up in the middle of the night and come over to his apartment without a valid reason-especially in such dreadful weather. Couldn't Frasier have at least thanked him for being concerned about Daphne's well-

being?

If what Frasier said was true, and Daphne and Donny really had broken up, Niles hated to think of Daphne hurting but in the long run it was the best for everyone. She didn't deserve Donny, not if the man was trying to pressure her to move up the wedding date. He didn't 

respect her one bit and that made Niles very angry.

Every word that Frasier had said to him resonated in Niles' head like a bad nightmare. And suddenly Niles had a terrible thought. Donny didn't respect Daphne enough to listen to her and understand her wishes. But Niles was guilty of more than the potential breakup of the 

woman he loved and her fiancé. If he really and truly loved Daphne, he would have told her long before now-before he was ever subjected to watching Donny get down on one knee in Frasier's living room and promise Daphne the stars while she accepted his offer for his hand 

in marriage. Like Daphne had said-if you love someone you should want to marry them as soon as possible. Shouldn't the same be true for telling someone how you feel about them?

He stood and crossed the room and went to sit by the window. The sun was beginning to set and he wondered if Daphne was seeing the sunset as well. At this time of year, clear sunsets were hard to come by, for they were usually obscured by clouds. But tonight the skies 

were destined to be clear. He imagined sitting in this very spot, watching the sunset together as she rested her head against his shoulder. It was something that would never happen-not now and perhaps not ever.

Frasier was right. Daphne and Donny would get back together and things would be good again. With any luck, Donny would see that Daphne needed to be part of planning the wedding and it would be a beautiful ceremony. Niles wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it, seeing 

Daphne marry another man. Accepting Donny's proposal had been bad enough, but seeing Donny slip a ring on her finger and promise to love her forever….

He felt sick and he was certain it wasn't from the wine. He drank the rest in one gulp, ignoring the dizziness that followed and the way the room began to sway. He glanced at the bandage on his hand, where he'd cut himself on the glass from the teacup. It was most likely 

healed by now, but he didn't have the heart to remove it. Daphne had taken such care to wrap it carefully that he couldn't bear to see it ruined.

He sighed deeply and brought his wine glass into the kitchen, placing it carefully in the sink. He'd wash it out later. The wine had made him tired and he knew that he needed a good night's sleep. It had been a very long and harrowing day. Hopefully when he slept, his 

dreams would be of the woman he loved-even if he could never have her.


End file.
